There Can Be Only One: Independent Animation for the Lonely
Full Conference 
One-Day Full Conference
Wednesday, 10 December, 15:45 -17:30
Room 301 302
Level: Beginner
Many logistical challenges confront the independent animator. The task of single-handedly producing an animated piece (budget, schedule, creative blocks, copyright issues, sound quality, publicity, distribution, being a jack of all trades, etc.) at first may seem overwhelming and insurmountable, yet this is not the case. With proper planning and adoption of professional strategies for success, animations produced by independent creators can be more creative and higher quality, and their personal experiences can be more rewarding and enjoyable.
In this course, attendees learn pre-production concepts and techniques that will allow them to focus on creative aspects of their projects and avoid time-consuming scheduling mistakes that can cripple production. From concept to design, storyboard to animatic, attendees learn the smartest ways to work and how to save time, money, and heartache as they seek to realize their unique visions. Scheduling, resource management, and copyright issues are explored and discussed in the production segment of the course, to keep the artist on track for project completion while taking care of minute details that could lead to major legal and logistical roadblocks. In the post-production segment, the final edit, output issues, credits, DVD authoring, making press kits, and final submission to animation festivals are addressed, giving attendees a clear, organized plan of creation and production. With more careful organisation, animators can concentrate on the creative aspects of their work and not get bogged down in unforeseen details.
Prerequisites
General knowledge of computer graphics and at least beginning-level experience in digital animation and design, either 3D or 2D.
Intended Audience
This course is ideally suited for beginning and intermediate student animators, and interested professionals and (especially) independent animators.
Instructors
Kristen Palana
The American University of Rome
Steve Rittler
William Paterson University
Instructor Bios
Kristen Palana
Kristen Palana is an American multimedia artist based in Rome and an assistant professor of communication at The American University of Rome. She has taught at universities in and around New York City and offered art and multimedia courses in North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. She exhibits her work internationally and online.
Steve Rittler
Steve Rittler is an independent animator, illustrator, designer, and educator who specializes in 3D character animation, visual storytelling, and figurative art. He earned a BFA in illustration from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. After launching his career as an illustrator, he moved to New York City, where he later received an MFA in computer graphics animation from Pratt Institute. He has worked for the Walt Disney Company in Los Angeles and has taught animation, storyboarding, figure drawing, and illustration at Pratt and New York University. He is president of his own company, MuseMachine Productions, and is a tenured associate professor of animation at William Paterson University in New Jersey. He also teaches animation and is a thesis
group leader in the MFA Computer Art Department at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan. Several of his students have won Student Academy Awards. He serves on the board of directors of the local New York City chapter of ACM SIGGRAPH.
